Working With Voice Mail In iOS 7

Sep

Voice mail is a wonderful feature that is standard on every iPhone. Though some of the features you have come to expect and use are still present in iOS7, there have been some changes. The interface is different, but once you read through how to listen to your voice mails, as well as the other things you can do with them, you will find it all very easy.

There are three ways you can listen to a voice mail for the first time. You can ask Siri, open the phone app and go to the voice mail tab, or get to the voice mail from the lock screen. Each method will be described, with instructions, below.

Ask Siri

Press and hold down the home button until you hear a tone.

Tell Siri, “Play voice mail.”

Siri will play all your new voice mails, one at a time.

After each one, Siri will ask you if you want to:

call back

play the message again

play the next message

When you tell Siri to play the last message, you will be asked only if you want to call back, or play the message again.

Siri will only read the new messages, the ones that were never heard. When done playing the last new message, Siri will let you know you have no voice mails.

Though Siri has played the message for you, the notification is still in the lock screen. When you double tap it, the voice mail will play.

Play the message from the lock screen:

Each missed call and voice mail notification will be listed separately in the lock screen.

When you double tap any of the notifications that include a voice mail, you will be taken into the phone app, to the voice mail tab, and that voice mail will play.

When the voice mail has been played, it will be labelled paused. A right flick will present you with the following options:

More info button. The contact information for the caller is on this screen. This includes everything you would find if you went into the contacts app and found the person’s contact information there. If the caller is not in your contacts and only a phone number is given, you will be presented with additional options to create a new contact, or add the number to an existing contact.

Play voice mail button. This is the way to play the voice mail again, and again.

Voice mail position. Gives the position of the voice mail recording as the seconds, of the total of seconds, where the voice mail recording is. Swipe up to increase the percentage and thus go towards the end of the recording. Swipe down to reduce the percentage, and thus go towards the beginning of the recording. When you double tap the play voice mail button, the recording will begin at the position you set.

Speaker button. Double tap to select the speaker This way, you can listen to the voice mails without headphones or putting the phone up to your ear. Note: When the speaker button is selected, all of the voice mails you play will do so through the speaker, until you double tap to unselect it.

Call back button. Double tap to call the number back.

Delete button. Double tap to delete that voice mail.

When a voice mail is expanded, and the above controls are shown, all of the other buttons on the screen are dimmed, and the other voice mails are labelled inactive. You can get into the more info screen for any of the contacts or phone numbers, but when you double tap on any of the inactive voice mails, that row expands and the voice mail you were viewing before that was expanded is now collapsed.

Voice mails can also be deleted in two other ways. The edit button can be used, or a one finger flick up or down. However the voice mails cannot be labelled inactive. To eliminate their inactive status:

Find the voice mail with the row expanded.

Right flick to the delete button and double tap.

the row will collapse, and the other voice mails will no longer be inactive.

Now you are ready to delete voice mails in either of the two other methods.

Deleting voice mails with the edit button:

Double tap the edit button, one right flick from the Voice Mail heading.

Right flick through the list.

Each voice mail will have a delete button before it.

Double tap the delete button for a voice mail you want to delete.

Another delete button will be presented. Though it will not ask for a confirmation, it is in fact just like a confirmation button.

Double tap this delete button, and the voice mail will disappear into the deleted messages area.

Deleting voice mails with an up or down flick:

Focus on a voice mail you want to delete.

Flick up or down. You will hear the following choices:

delete

activate item.(Default action)

Double tap delete, and the voice mail will disappear into the deleted voice mails area.

Double tap activate item. The voice mail row will expand, and you’ll be presented with the options as listed above when the voice mail is labelled paused was described.

What about those deleted voice mails? How do you clear them out permanently? What if you accidentally deleted one and need it back?

Do not worry, for it is possible to do all of those things. First, though, you need to get to the deleted messages area. To get there, do the following:

make sure none of the voice mail rows are expanded.

If one is, double tap the delete button to send it to the deleted messages area. You can always retrieve it later.

In the dock at the bottom of the screen, find the favorites tab.

Left flick once, and you’ll find the words deleted messages, with the number you have listed, such as 6 or 25 or 141.

Double tap, and you’ll be in the deleted messages area.

Now that you are there, you are ready to get a voice mail back that you accidentally deleted. You can also get rid of all of the voice mails in here permanently.

Retrieving an accidentally deleted voice mail, or one you need:

Double tap the voice mail you want to put back into the main voice mails area.

Right flick to the undelete button.

Double tap this button, and the voice mail will go back into the main voice mails area.

Permanently deleting voice mails:

Make sure none of the voice mail rows are expanded. If one is, double tap undelete. This will send that voice mail back to the main voice mail screen. You can always delete it again.

Double tap the clear all button located one right flick past the Deleted heading.

You will get a confirmation alert, asking you if you want to permanently clear deleted voice mails.

Double tap the clear all button to banish these voice mails from your phone forever.

If you decide you don’t want to do this, double tap the cancel button.

As you can see, the features you have come to like and expect are still there. They are just presented in a bit of a different way. In no time at all, you will learn and become used to the new interface.

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